Antigua To Drop All Covid Restrictions in 2022?

For two years now the world has collectively masked, distanced and (mostly) vaccinated in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, and for the most part? We’re all kinda over it, but we understand why we still have to take precautions. But perhaps no one is more ready to be DONE with COVID-19 than Antigua’s own Prime Minister Gaston Browne. On October 5th, it was reported that Browne is intending to drop all measures to curb the spread of the pandemic, to include entry requirements:

“I want to make a point here too that we are moving towards dropping the state of emergency, the curfews and so on and eliminate most of the restrictions as we can by the end of the year, the latest…We are not going to go into 2022 limping and creating more stress and strain for the economy. The economy cannot take any more stress, cannot take any more strain and those who may want to suggest that it may be irresponsible for us to do so, well, you know what, our people would have had several months to get vaccinated.

“So, by then, whoever is not vaccinated by then would have taken a conscious decision not to get vaccinated and if the unfortunate happens and they get ill, or they die that’s the choice they would have made.”

When it comes to vaccinated citizens, Browne is adapting the “I told ya’ll” rule of thumb. He said that nationals were given sufficient time to get vaccinated to curb the spread of the virus that has so far killed 85 people and infected 3, 503 others since March of last year.

Basically Browne is tired. And while it’s understandable for a nation that depends on tourism and other resources that have been adversely affected by the panini…it remains to be seen just what this will mean in terms of entry requirements that are generally meant to protect the population and how he intends to deal with another spike in cases.

While this isn’t yet official, we’re keeping our eye on the island of 365 beaches for an update closer to New Year’s.

source: Barbados Today